[IB Editor's note: I began by journey to energy independence from KIUC with a Xantrex Xpower 1500 like the one pictured above in 2006. There are cheaper ways of putting together a system, but you have to know something about the subject ahead of time. The virtue of the Xpower 1500 is that you don't have to know anything about PV and battery storage to get started. It is an easy entry to creating and managing your very own powerplant.Even though the old 60amp storage is pau, the unit still in service providing lighting to our kitchen and guest bathroom but now attached to two deep-cycle marine batteries with 230 amp-hours of storage at Walmart's for $114 each.]